The End of Maximum Ride
by ToranValkyrie
Summary: Ahead of schedule. Follow-up of the latest events in the Maximum Ride universe. Set after "Angel". Max and Fang love each other, but will that be enough? Spoilers if you haven't read Angel. FAX? Who knows?
1. Chapter 1

They sat there together, each waiting patiently for the other to begin. One of the boy's feet dangled off the edge of the pier, water lapping gently up at it, only to miss it and fall back down to the ocean. The girl stared at this repeated motion, trying to keep quiet long enough so the moment could pass by.

They both had the same feelings, of course. And they both knew that they both had them. There was simply the point of getting them out in the open that was so hard. They had almost always been together:

Back at the School in California, stretching their hands through the bars of the cage just to touch their fingers together do they could sleep; Alone in the mountains in their house, trying to take care of children while wandering where their father had gone; She planting a light kiss on his lips while he lay on the beach, dying; He angrily bandaging her bleeding arm as she sat there crying from the strain of life; Breaking apart over her brother, both hating to leave; Being reunited; Him holding her tight while she cried over a grave; Kissing passionately before she leaves the submarine on an escape pod; flying over Africa, getting shot at; meeting her supposed soul-mate; him leaving; them meeting awkwardly once more.

But now it was just too much. She couldn't be with him, she reasoned. She had a duty to be with someone else. It hurt the flock too much for them to be together.

He felt the same. It wouldn't be right for them. They needed her leadership. If he was there, she didn't have the same leadership. And besides, she had that other boy… her supposed soul-mate.

He sighed. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

"It doesn't make any difference, does it?'

"No. We'll never get to be together. No matter how bad we both want it."

"Why don't we just escape? Just you and me, on an island, alone."

The old idea surprised her. She couldn't believe he remembered. "That wouldn't be fair to them. Just enjoy _her._"

"She's no you, Maximum. She never can be."

"And he's not you, Fang. But it makes no difference in the world. I'm sorry." A tear squeezes out of her eye. She stands up and walks away, leaving him on the pier alone.


	2. Chapter 2

"Damn it!" He yelled loudly, as soon as he was sure she was far enough away, slamming his fist down on the dock. He punched it again and again, liking how much better the physical pain felt than the emotional. Not good, exactly, but better. Couldn't anything go right? First Max, then Angel. He had hoped that by inviting her out here, he could explain how sorry he was, how much he missed her.

But he never had been that good with expressing his feelings. There were moments when they came through, when he didn't feel so stupid and could just spit them out, but now wasn't one of those times.

He had invited her over through his blog, when he found out they were in the same area. He said it was so they could "talk about what happened". But that was too awkward. She burst into tears as soon as he mentioned Angel. He switched to small talk, asking how she was, how the flock was doing. She gradually calmed down.

Of course, inevitably, he had to bring their relationship out into the open. Why couldn't he just keep his big mouth shut? All it lead was nowhere. They both knew their mutual love. And they also both knew that it wasn't good for anybody.

He sighed and dipped his hand in the water, washing the blood off. He jumped up into the air and took off into the night sky, heading back to _his _flock.

* * *

He opened the door to the hotel they were staying at. Six curious pairs of eyes looked anxiously up at him. Maya walked over to him from her place on the edge of the bed and gave him a deep hug. He didn't return it.

"How'd it go, Fang?" He shook his head at her question.

"Just… just leave me alone for now, okay guys?" They nodded begrudgingly and allowed him to sit on the other side of the room alone. He closed his eyes and listened to their squabbling for a few moments. He felt a small smile creep up. It was almost like being back with the other flock:

Ratchet and Holden wrestling around on the ground and making a lamp explode when it fell and hit the ground: Gazzy and Iggy.

Star and Kate talking in whispers about trivial things he cared nothing about, like fashion: Nudge and Angel.

Maya sitting there quietly on the bed next to him, pretending to watch the TV while really staring at him, trying to figure out what happened: Well, Max.

Maya is Max. She only has a few slight differences about her. A few slight things that were her and only her. Though the scientists tried all they could, they just couldn't copy Max. Nobody could replace her.

He sighed and got up. "I'm taking a walk," He called back to the flock without so much as glancing at them.

"But you just got here," Maya said crossly.

Saying no word, he opened the door and took off into the night.


	3. Chapter 3

I storm into the room. Why did he have to bring up both of those topics? The only two I have absolutely no intention of talking about. Our love and… Angel.

The flock looks up at me. "How'd it go?" Dylan asks, running up to me.

I shake my head. "How do you think it went? Just… just leave me alone for now, okay?" I walk over to the bed and flop down onto it. I stare blankly at the TV, not really taking anything in. This must be what prison inmates feel like.

Gazzy sidles up next to me. I wrap my arm around him. "What's wrong, Gaz?"

He sighs, his face seemingly lined with age beyond his years. "Do you think we'll find her?"

I know who he's talking about. And I can't lie to him. "No, Gaz. I don't think so. There's no way she could have made it out of that."

Tears leak down his face. He shakes his head. "She's not dead, Max. I know it. If she was, I would feel it. She's not gone. Please, Max. Don't give up on her."

* * *

I cower against the strong hands. This is bringing back strong memories, flashes of being back at the school. The black bandana over my eyes isn't helping much. The hands grip tighter around me. I fight against them. There's no way I'm going to let them take me. I made a promise to myself, last time they took me. I'd rather die than go back to the experiments.

And it looks like that's what it's going to take this time, to avoid them. I kick out, and am rewarded with the heavy sound of bone snapping. I jump forward and punch out blindly. My fist connects with something hard, then I hit the floor. I try to scramble up, but a heavy weight presses down on my back and forces me to stay down.

The blindfold rides up on my head a little. Enough for me to see the room I'm in. A small, cramped space. There are about ten people gathered around me in a circle. I can see the bottoms of some white coats trailing by the floor.

"Sleep, darling." The voice behind me tells me. A small pain pricks on my shoulder, then everything goes black.

* * *

I speed across the sky, wind flying past my face and through my wings. It feels so good to do this, better than anything. Well, almost anything… Being with Max is better. If I had to choose between flying and staying with her, I'd choose her every time.

I feel a presence speed up beside me. I turn to look. My heart speeds into overdrive. "Max!" I exclaim.

She comes closer. "No." She frowns. I realize my mistake.

"Oh, sorry, Maya. You just, you know, look exactly like her."

"I know. And I wish you'd stop staring at me like that. I get it. You're in love with her. That doesn't mean you have to project your feelings on me, too."

My mouth gapes open. "No… I just…"

"Whatever." She surges forward and flies off, as fast as only Max can, leaving me there wondering what I did wrong.


End file.
